Best California Colleges
With its desirable climate, dynamic cities, huge economy and reputation the global leader in technology, California is a highly desirable state for students to choose to attend college. The state is home to world-renowned research universities like Stanford and CalTech. The University of California (UC) system has ten campuses serving over a quarter of a million students. The UC system is home to the extremely competitive and rival colleges UCLA and UC Berkeley. The CSU system is the largest public four-year university system in the US and enrolls nearly a half million students per year. Also significant is the California Community Colleges system, the largest of its kind, which serves 2.1 million students through its 2-year programs at 116 colleges. Notable highly rated small liberal arts schools like Pomona, Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna also call the Golden State home.
There are 278 colleges and universities in California enrolling 2,544,910 students. Explore the list of top colleges in California below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in California offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.
California is home to nationally ranked institutions like Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, Claremont McKenna College and Pomona College. The highest ranked college in California is Stanford University and the top rated public state college is University of California Berkeley.
Local college options can be explored in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco or other cities.
List of the Best California Colleges
Sierra College
- Public 2 Year
- Rocklin, CA
-
3.0 | 3 reviews
Sierra College is a public community college known for nursing and career technical programs. The Rocklin campus sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of Sacramento.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,285
Simpson University
- Private 4 Year
- Redding, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Simpson is a small private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry. The residential campus is in Redding in Northern California.
- SAT Range 960-1185
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $28,653
College of the Siskiyous
- Public 2 Year
- Weed, CA
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
College of the Siskiyous is a public community college known for fire technology and nursing programs. The rural campus sits near the base of Mount Shasta in far northern California.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,117
Skyline College
- Public 2 Year
- San Bruno, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Skyline is a public community college known for automotive technology and respiratory care programs. The campus sits in San Bruno on the San Francisco Peninsula.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $6,639
San Bernardino Valley College
- Public 2 Year
- San Bernardino, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 29 application deadline
San Bernardino Valley College is a public community college known for associate degrees and university-transfer preparation. Most students commute to the campus in California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $19,091
Solano Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Fairfield, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Solano is a public community college offering associate degrees, transfer preparation, and career technical programs. The main campus is in Fairfield on the I-80 corridor between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,102
Southwestern College
- Public 2 Year
- Chula Vista, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Southwestern College is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences programs. The suburban Chula Vista campus sits in San Diego County's South Bay near the U.S.-Mexico border.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $15,148
Southern California Institute of Architecture
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
SCI-Arc is a private architecture school known for undergraduate architecture and design. The urban campus occupies a former freight depot in Los Angeles's Arts District.
- SAT Range 1020-1230
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $28,985
Taft College
- Public 2 Year
- Taft, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Taft College is a public community college known for undergraduate programs in dental hygiene and petroleum technology. The small campus sits in the oil-industry town of Taft in California's San Joaquin Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $5,025
Thomas Aquinas College
- Private 4 Year
- Santa Paula, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Thomas Aquinas is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for a single Great Books curriculum that all undergraduates complete together. The residential campus is set in the hills near Santa Paula in southern California.
- SAT Range 1220-1400
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $24,820
Epic Bible College & Graduate School
- Private 4 Year
- Sacramento, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 27 application deadline
Epic is a private Bible college known for undergraduate biblical studies and ministry. The urban campus is located in Sacramento.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price -
Ventura College
- Public 2 Year
- Ventura, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Ventura College is a public community college known for associate programs in nursing and liberal arts transfer preparation. The campus sits in the coastal city of Ventura.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $2,522
Victor Valley College
- Public 2 Year
- Victorville, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Victor Valley College is a public community college offering two-year undergraduate programs in nursing and career technical fields. The campus is located in Victorville in California's High Desert.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $1,947
Berkeley City College
- Public 2 Year
- Berkeley, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Berkeley City College is a public community college known for transfer preparation and programs in the liberal arts and sciences. The urban campus sits in downtown Berkeley near UC Berkeley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $12,695
Coalinga College
- Public 2 Year
- Coalinga, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Coalinga College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career technical programs. The campus is in the small Central Valley city of Coalinga.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,972
West Los Angeles College
- Public 2 Year
- Culver City, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
West Los Angeles College is a public community college known for undergraduate programs in aviation technology and dental hygiene. The urban Culver City campus sits near major entertainment studios and Los Angeles International Airport.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,164
West Valley College
- Public 2 Year
- Saratoga, CA
-
| 0 reviews
West Valley is a public community college known for associate degrees and university transfer preparation. The suburban campus sits in Saratoga in Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,270
Whittier College
- Private 4 Year
- Whittier, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Whittier is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, psychology, and education. The suburban Los Angeles County campus has historic Quaker roots.
- SAT Range 1140-1340
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $28,101